Airports to benefit from $150m EAC programme

Apr 21, 2008

UGANDA is to benefit from a $150m (about sh254.2b) 10-year development programme for East Africa aimed at upgrading regional airports, the managing director of the Civil Aviation Authority has said.

By Ibrahim Kasita

UGANDA is to benefit from a $150m (about sh254.2b) 10-year development programme for East Africa aimed at upgrading regional airports, the managing director of the Civil Aviation Authority has said.

Ambrose Akandonda said the money was approved by ministers in charge of civil aviation and would be used to adopt a regional airport connectivity system.

He said airports in Uganda, which would benefit from the funds are Entebbe International Airport, Kasese and Arua aerodromes.

In Kenya, Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, Moi International Airport, Kisumu and Wilson will benefit.

In Tanzania, Mwalimu Julius Nyerere International Airport, Mwanza, Zanzibar International Airport and Mtwara will also benefit.

He said to ensure smooth implementation of the programme, a regional service charter for uniform management of airside operations had been developed.

Akandonda said terminal building management, disabled aircraft removal and computerisation of airport operations had also been put in place to ensure smooth implementation.

“East Africa is endowed with agriculture and tourism potential. In order to impact the continental and global markets, the region needs to improve and upgrade the capacity for management and processing of cargo,” he said while presenting a paper to the East African Community’s (EAC) first strategic retreat of ministers at the Commonwealth Resort Munyonyo.

“Development of modern cargo-processing centres, construction of larger warehouses, encouragement of shippers for cargo consolidation, development of regional phytosanitary standards and development of a multi-mode transport system for inter-land and cargo movements is a must.”

Akandonda said the Unified Upper Flight Information Region for EAC would ensure high levels of safety besides the advantages in capacity and efficiency compared to the current situation.

He said the Civil Aviation Safety and Security Oversight Agency would provide economies of scale by allowing sharing of technical experts in air safety and security.

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